Storm system Karen dissipates off Gulf Coast

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NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- After days of slowly moving toward the Gulf Coast, the storm system Karen has dissipated.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami says that as of Sunday morning, only remnants of Karen remain, and are moving eastward off the coast about 13 mph.

Forecasters expect what remains of what had been a tropical storm to continue moving generally east over the next day to two days.

Maximum sustained winds remain near 30 mph, with higher gusts, and forecasters say localized coastal flooding could still occur along portions of the coast. Rain accumulations of 1 to 3 inches are expected.

Earlier Sunday, much of the Gulf Coast began calling off preparations and evacuations as Karen weakened and stalled.

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